Chenoa Matthews

Dr. Matthews is an anishininewak–mixed settler from the Barkman family in Sachigo Lake First Nation, with French and Scottish ancestry. She holds a PhD in Population and Public Health and previously worked as a Population Health Epidemiologist with the Indigenous Health Research Unit at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. 

Her research applies Indigenous, relational, and data-driven approaches to advance health equity in population and public health. Her work supports Indigenous wellbeing in the contexts of public health emergencies and access to healthcare, including accessible vaccines and the role of food systems in wellness and climate resilience. Dr. Matthews is a co-investigator on multiple projects spanning global health, gender and sexual health equity, youth engagement in research, and pandemic preparedness. Her work emphasizes partnership, reciprocity, and research that translates into meaningful systems change.  

Dr. Matthews has designed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in global Indigenous health, Indigenous land stewardship, and Indigenous pandemic response at Simon Fraser University and the Native Education College in Vancouver, including fully online courses during the pandemic. Outside of her professional roles, she plays an active role in her community as a Board Director for Indigenous Women Outdoors, a local Indigenous-led non-profit that supports Indigenous women+ in the Sea-to-Sky Region in connecting with each other and the land through mountain sports and movement.